Di Battista is hospitalized in Cuba, and Gemelli doctors arrive: "I'll do my best to return."

Alessandro Di Battista remains hospitalized in serious condition at Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital in Havana, where two specialists from Rome's Gemelli Polyclinic arrived to support the Cuban medical team. The former Five Star Movement MP , who fell ill on Friday, August 29, while reporting on the island, regained consciousness and reassured his friends with a message: "I'll do my best to return soon."

The rescue operation has been set in motion between Rome and Havana, with Five Star Movement leader Giuseppe Conte liaising between the family and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . Meanwhile, Di Battista and the Movement have declined the government's offer of a state flight for his medical repatriation: if conditions permit, the former parliamentarian would prefer to return on a scheduled flight.

What happened to Di Battista in Cuba?

The former congressman, who turned 48 on August 4, was in Santa Clara , a city about 300 kilometers from the capital, to produce the report "The Dust of the World" for Il Fatto Quotidiano and TvLoft . On Friday, he suffered severe headaches and a sudden illness, losing consciousness for several hours.

After an initial hospitalization in Santa Clara, he was transported by ambulance to the Havana hospital, where he arrived lucid and answered doctors' questions. At the hospital, he underwent a CT scan and a series of specialist visits. The temporary sedation, due to his fainting spell, had mistakenly led to reports of a coma: his condition remains serious and currently does not warrant transfer to Italy.

Gemelli doctors and their rejection of state-sponsored flights

The two specialists arriving in Cuba are part of the teams led by Francesco Doglietto , head of Neurosurgery at Gemelli Hospital, and Massimo Antonelli , head of Resuscitation and Intensive Care. Conte himself is said to have arranged for their dispatch , having been working for hours in a triangulation between the former MP's family and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Italian doctors' task will be to evaluate, together with their Cuban colleagues, whether and when a safe return to Italy is possible. Di Battista and the Five Star Movement reportedly declined the government-issued state plane: if necessary, they would opt for an air ambulance , with the costs covered by insurance, the Five Star Movement, and Il Fatto Quotidiano.

The phone call with Tajani and the cross-party solidarity

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke to Di Battista by phone, finding him "combative in tone, with no weakening of morale despite the complicated situation." The Deputy Prime Minister assured that the government will do "everything necessary for him, as it should do for every Italian citizen in similar conditions."

During the phone call, the former MP told Tajani about Cuba's difficulties due to US sanctions, emphasizing the need to help the Cuban people. The government is following the situation closely, initially through Ambassador to Cuba Simona De Martino , while her partner Sahra Lahouasnia is expected in Havana in the next few hours.

The message on social media and the connection with Naples

From his room on the 19th floor of the hospital, Di Battista responded to some of the many messages of encouragement that had arrived on social media. "I'll do my best to return soon," he wrote to Ilaria Loquenzi, a former M5S staffer, who urged him not to give up.

There's also a connection to Naples in this story: the famous pizza chef Gino Sorbillo sent him a message full of four-leaf clovers and hearts, and promised "Margheritas in the square for everyone" on the day of Di Battista's return to Italy.

FAQ

How is Alessandro Di Battista?

His condition remains serious, but he is lucid and responding to doctors' questions. The two Gemelli specialists, along with their Cuban colleagues, will evaluate his clinical progress in the coming hours.

What happened to Di Battista in Cuba?

On Friday, August 29, he suffered severe headaches and felt unwell in Santa Clara, while reporting. He lost consciousness for several hours and was then transferred by ambulance to Hermanos Ameijeiras Hospital in Havana.

Why did Di Battista refuse the state flight?

The former MP and the Five Star Movement have declined the government's proposal: if conditions permit, they prefer to return by scheduled flight. Otherwise, they will opt for an air ambulance.

Who are the doctors who arrived from Rome?

Two specialists from the Gemelli Hospital, from the teams of Francesco Doglietto (Neurosurgery) and Massimo Antonelli (Resuscitation and Intensive Care), sent on the initiative of Giuseppe Conte.